That April fools joke about the ts3 patch seriously had me groaning until I figured out it was a joke.
They DELETED that thread. It was just a joke! Oh well.
I agree with everyone that has said please don't touch our Sims 3. The 1.69 fiasco was proof of what could happen. I remember around the time I first started playing in 2014 there was a petition thread asking for new Sims 3 content. In my blissful ignorance I signed up. Now I understand the naysayers. The game just can't handle anymore. I have a stellar gaming puter and I manage to run almost everything but one more EP would probably snap it in two.
Both my gaming laptop and desktop with no mods or minimal mods with all EP's/SP's and the whole store runs fine. Another EP is not going to break my game but rather it is the lack of optimization and cohesiveness among the base game and all the EP's. If I remember correctly, the developers usually only test the base game and the new EP and never everything including all previous EP/SP/store content that was released to ensure the best quality assurance experience. I am finding out there are quite a few CAS store items that are broken and/or for some reason not working as it should with some EP and/or SP CAS content.
TS3 has amazing features but not all play out as well as it should because you know deadlines, lack of resources and possibly technology at that time, lack of communication between EP/SP/Store teams, etc. Overall, I feel the issue is not about how many EP's but rather how well they all work together with the base game to ensure the best gaming experience possible.
Unfortunately, most game developers are rushed into releasing unfinished content for the sake of a deadline which ultimately means money now not later motto. I would rather wait for a fully fleshed out complete game than have a rushed unfinished game spending too much time in glitch land.
Fortunately, to me, TS3 is not that bad off where the game is unplayable but regardless as a paying consumer then I really expected a lot better. And when I tried to address the issue I was shunned by some as being unproductive and destroying the peace because they wanted to talk the SimGuru about whatever happy-go-lucky topic. But whatever. Now I know how EA plays this game, so I'm extremely weary of their workmanship. Though, it's not like I'm interested in TS4 or any current EA published games. But I do still want Need for Speed II and III Hot Pursuit for the PS1.
The only thing I want in life from The Sims is a 64-bit version of The Sims 3 so I can finally stop getting Error Code 12. The rest of the Sims 3 modders and community can take it from there.
Totally agree with you!
Several games have been updated with better graphics since their launch.
I recall back in 1989 a company called "Sierra" made games like "Police Quest" which featured CGA graphics. It was a very popular game (you played as a police officer and had to follow REAL police procedures - not that junk from movies). In 1993 (I believe), Sierra went back and did a remake of PQ1 which had VGA graphics. This was AFTER the release of PQ2.
Other games that got remakes was "Space Quest 1" (also by Sierra) got graphics update from CGA to EGA (also from "text adventure" to "point and click adventure"), but I can't remember what year it was.
I know of other titles, but these are ones I've played. Y'all can help back me up on this and add some other titles of remade games, so EA can see that Sims3 IS a good game. It just needs a "facelift".
While I think a remake/remaster of TS3 would be an excellent idea to come to fruition. Do you really think EA would do it right? As not all remakes/remasters are worthy and just trying to cash in than give out the quality that is due.
“What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter”
The only thing I want in life from The Sims is a 64-bit version of The Sims 3 so I can finally stop getting Error Code 12. The rest of the Sims 3 modders and community can take it from there.
Totally agree with you!
Several games have been updated with better graphics since their launch.
I recall back in 1989 a company called "Sierra" made games like "Police Quest" which featured CGA graphics. It was a very popular game (you played as a police officer and had to follow REAL police procedures - not that junk from movies). In 1993 (I believe), Sierra went back and did a remake of PQ1 which had VGA graphics. This was AFTER the release of PQ2.
Other games that got remakes was "Space Quest 1" (also by Sierra) got graphics update from CGA to EGA (also from "text adventure" to "point and click adventure"), but I can't remember what year it was.
I know of other titles, but these are ones I've played. Y'all can help back me up on this and add some other titles of remade games, so EA can see that Sims3 IS a good game. It just needs a "facelift".
Sierra? Police Quest? Oh my... you've just touched my nostalgic nerve here! Just like "Bullfrog Studios" or "Microprose"!
Mostly did great games for their times but various mistakes brought them extremely close to bankruptcy in the late 90s and their assets we split, sold, reorganized, resold to some companies and or firms no longer operated and such up to a point where some of their games are now apparently lacking a "legal owner", Activision now apparently solely owning the name "Sierra" and part of its former staff.
As for the facelift, arguably, the x64 fix, plus a bunch of store items (including some worlds and subworlds), some new career paths, including the existing "occults" in the CAS menu, and the game would keep being profitable for 10+ more years... No more buggy experimental features (like they did with IP or ITF), just the x64 released as an EP, some store items (including the already existing bonus/restricted items), and maybe a broad SP and that would be it.
My Studio
My Traits: Socially Awkward / Artistic / Family Oriented / Hopelessly Romantic / Absent Minded
Academic Trait: Adventurous
Social Group Trait (Should I ever become "Nerd" enough): Computer Whiz ______
“Instead of putting players in the role of Luke Skywalker, or Frodo Baggins, I'd rather put them in the role of George Lucas.” Will Wright
"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Cpt. Edward A. Murphy Jr, USAF
I have patch 1.69 and my game works fine but then again I didn't play for a year because of real life and was entirely unaware it was an issue (I still don't know what the issue is with it, if my game works I am a happy bunny). I would like all the bugs fixed that were ignored in TS3 other than that meh! TS4 I don't have any constructive input on as I have never played it.
I play both Sims 3 (1.69) and Sims 4 in very high or max settings.
For Sims 4, I must say the graphics overall has improved and is very good. I'm not saying Sims 3 has bad graphics, but when you have Open World there will have some compromises, especially on details and lighting.
I do like the Sims 4 user interface and simplicity. Great CAS. I personally think the lighting in Sims 4 is much better, gameplay much smoother, Sims are "smarter" on some aspects, multi tasking abilities has alot of potential for the game. I will not comment about the new Emotion gameplay, alot have been said already. Definitely there are things that Sims 4 shld improve on too.
Gameplay wise, yes Sims 3 is the winner with more depth, and more things to do and explore, except that it's is cumbered with on-off glitches and bugs especially when you do not have mods to help clean up stuff in the long run. In my opinion, You do need decent gaming PC to enjoy full aspects of Sims 3.
But great game both but essentially 2 different game offering different gameplay.
@tintinfoo (welcome by the way )
The 'smarter sim' discussion is an interesting one, so I'm curious why you find your sims in 4 smarter than in 3? I feel I don't need them to be too smart myself by the way. As long as they don't wet themselves, eat when they're hungry and go to bed when they're sleepy it's ok by me, I'll do the rest The reason I find this an interesting discussion, is that many 'original' players in fact often praise the fact sims in the first two games weren't so smart. They die when you're not careful. But maybe you're referring to another kind of smartness, hence my question.
(I don't think there's a connection between open world and graphics/lighting by the way; I rather think that's a matter of 2009 vs 2014)
@tintinfoo (welcome by the way )
The 'smarter sim' discussion is an interesting one, so I'm curious why you find your sims in 4 smarter than in 3? I feel I don't need them to be too smart myself by the way. As long as they don't wet themselves, eat when they're hungry and go to bed when they're sleepy it's ok by me, I'll do the rest The reason I find this an interesting discussion, is that many 'original' players in fact often praise the fact sims in the first two games weren't so smart. They die when you're not careful. But maybe you're referring to another kind of smartness, hence my question.
(I don't think there's a connection between open world and graphics/lighting by the way; I rather think that's a matter of 2009 vs 2014)
Well, I personally reduce freewill to minimum (except for pets) as sims, when they're hungry, will burn the kitchen to ashes cooking something way past their skills (should they have any), even if there are still more than decent leftovers in the fridge, wasting some valued ingredients in the process (e.g.: "burnt stew surprise" with made with "perfect" "Lobsters", or "burnt life fruit pancakes", or "burnt mac and cheese" with a farm fresh "perfect" "Cheese"); will go to your top story bathroom if they have to go, passing by many closer bathrooms on their way; will jump in the pool even if they are falling asleep; will use the computer even if there are puddles around; and many more... I dont mind pet being messy and doing stupid things, that what pet lovers love in them! I have a problem however with sims lacking self preservation instinct or severely sabotaging your plans... And I'm not talking about teens being hungry at 2 am going to the "deep fryer" and tossing either 1lbs of bacon in it or a whole bunch of chocolate bars in it, or one of my sims who started to use the "Miner" a little before 4 am, making quite a number of enemies in the neighborhood...
My Studio
My Traits: Socially Awkward / Artistic / Family Oriented / Hopelessly Romantic / Absent Minded
Academic Trait: Adventurous
Social Group Trait (Should I ever become "Nerd" enough): Computer Whiz ______
“Instead of putting players in the role of Luke Skywalker, or Frodo Baggins, I'd rather put them in the role of George Lucas.” Will Wright
"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Cpt. Edward A. Murphy Jr, USAF
The reason I find this an interesting discussion, is that many 'original' players in fact often praise the fact sims in the first two games weren't so smart. They die when you're not careful.
This is definitely my preference. Why would I want sims to be so 'smart' that they don't need me? Just sit back and watch them do their thing? The mind boggles.
I want my sims to be stupid enough to need me to look after them, or what is the point in playing? The game needs at least a little difficulty to make it interesting.
My all time favourite? Looking after pregnant sims in ts2. Now that was a challenge!
In my opinion, You do need decent gaming PC to enjoy full aspects of Sims 3.
I thought that TS4 would play perfectly for me on my laptop, cause I can run TS3 on Medium graphics with no problems. Yeah......no. Had to have everything on the lowest settings (which look AWFUL btw, like a free Steam game or something), and in laptop mode, and the game lags and stutters TERRIBLY. I can't play it at all it's that bad, and I've tried everything I was told to do.
It was super annoying because TS3 runs fine and that's supposed to be the badly optimised mess.
The reason I find this an interesting discussion, is that many 'original' players in fact often praise the fact sims in the first two games weren't so smart. They die when you're not careful.
This is definitely my preference. Why would I want sims to be so 'smart' that they don't need me? Just sit back and watch them do their thing? The mind boggles.
I want my sims to be plum enough to need me to look after them, or what is the point in playing? The game needs at least a little difficulty to make it interesting.
My all time favourite? Looking after pregnant sims in ts2. Now that was a challenge!
I think there is an important point in sims taking care of their basic needs in Sims 3: open world. In Sims 2 and 4 (don't remember 1 good enough to tell how it was in that game) you can fully focus on one sim when you leave the house. In Sims 3 you have a whole household to constantly take care of. I'm glad the ones I'm not focusing on take care of themselves, otherwise the game would be a nuisance playing a large household. I also like they do basic stuff autonomously. I remember I had sent one of my heir's daughters into the world to collect gems. Then I focused on her father and forgot about her. When I finally returned to her, she appeared to have finished the collecting. I found her in the elixer shop, practicing alchemy. Liked how she hadn't automatically gone home, but had decided to do something usefull (something she had never done before even) instead.
I don't really need them to need me concerning basic stuff. And I personally dislike the deadly loop a pregnant sim in 2 can find herself in when she's too hungry to sleep and too sleepy to eat. Especially when it happened to me after my sim had been on vacation. She was fine when she left there - in the need bar department - and when she got home all of a sudden she was miserable in a life threatening way. I used maxmotives, for me this doesn't add anything valuable to the game I compare a Sims game to a movie or a book. I find fun in what they experience, the adventures they are having, not in the characters having to go the toilet (in answer to 'why would I want sims to be so smart that they don't need me' and 'what is the point in playing')
I still wonder what people mean when they say sims in 4 are smarter than sims in the other games
@tintinfoo (welcome by the way )
The 'smarter sim' discussion is an interesting one, so I'm curious why you find your sims in 4 smarter than in 3? I feel I don't need them to be too smart myself by the way. As long as they don't wet themselves, eat when they're hungry and go to bed when they're sleepy it's ok by me, I'll do the rest The reason I find this an interesting discussion, is that many 'original' players in fact often praise the fact sims in the first two games weren't so smart. They die when you're not careful. But maybe you're referring to another kind of smartness, hence my question.
(I don't think there's a connection between open world and graphics/lighting by the way; I rather think that's a matter of 2009 vs 2014)
Well, I personally reduce freewill to minimum (except for pets) as sims, when they're hungry, will burn the kitchen to ashes cooking something way past their skills (should they have any), even if there are still more than decent leftovers in the fridge, wasting some valued ingredients in the process (e.g.: "burnt stew surprise" with made with "perfect" "Lobsters", or "burnt life fruit pancakes", or "burnt mac and cheese" with a farm fresh "perfect" "Cheese"); will go to your top story bathroom if they have to go, passing by many closer bathrooms on their way; will jump in the pool even if they are falling asleep; will use the computer even if there are puddles around; and many more... I dont mind pet being messy and doing plum things, that what pet lovers love in them! I have a problem however with sims lacking self preservation instinct or severely sabotaging your plans... And I'm not talking about teens being hungry at 2 am going to the "deep fryer" and tossing either 1lbs of bacon in it or a whole bunch of chocolate bars in it, or one of my sims who started to use the "Miner" a little before 4 am, making quite a number of enemies in the neighborhood...
I want my sims to have a will of their own, but when I want them to obey me, they must obey me. I don't want them to ignore (or delete) my commands.
In my opinion, You do need decent gaming PC to enjoy full aspects of Sims 3.
I thought that TS4 would play perfectly for me on my laptop, cause I can run TS3 on Medium graphics with no problems. Yeah......no. Had to have everything on the lowest settings (which look AWFUL btw, like a free Steam game or something), and in laptop mode, and the game lags and stutters TERRIBLY. I can't play it at all it's that bad, and I've tried everything I was told to do.
It was super annoying because TS3 runs fine and that's supposed to be the badly optimised mess.
This is indeed strange! I play Sims 4 on ultra settings though... can see quite a difference for me compared to Sims 3. It takes for me average 2 seconds to save a game in Sims 4 (base game only), 5 seconds or so to go to a community lot. I remembered many years ago playing TS3 on my old PC, and when saving or important events I will mutter to myself like "please save", "please don't crash on me". I still feel abit tense saving TS3 now haha. But I hear complaints on TS4 like once you start adding big expansions like city living there will be a significant lag maybe you can check out what's happening to your game ?
Regards to smarter Sims in TS4, it's just my personal observation and opinion when playing a short while ( I have not fully explored the game) , so some might defer but ; a few observations below
Sims are better at re-routing when things or other sims happen to block their path. Tend to cancel less of my instructions, more seamless in connecting the queue actions.
I find they are more social and more aware of their surroundings - one of my Sims will grab her plate of her food and sit down with her friend at the TV sofa; or go to the bedroom to eat (Lol! Because dad is painting inside) which she dont usually do. Somebody painting, and somebody doing something completely different thing ( using PC) when they are in a same room can converse together is quite a cool feature, like they are aware people are around them.
Or if Sims on a normal outing or on a date , and they sit a bar, if a sim notice that he or she is not siting with their date side by side, he or she will automatically change their seat, AND bring his or her drink along. Another townie on a date with me, after talking and drinking, when to the toilet, and then came right back to his seat continue on the conversation. Which I think is cool ! My sims working out on a gym equipment can invite another sim to do push up or use an alternative gym equipment. Makes me feel that they are aware that they are working out together ( neat feature from Sims 2 I believe). Multi tasking abilities like working out and flashing eyes at at romantic interest, while having a group conversation with others at the same time made me my laugh out loud. Things like waving and saying goodbye all within group conversations and ordering drinks at the same time works very seamlessly without having me to cancel actions or re- rout. And to me it's important, when gameplay is seamless and things work out naturally without your input on details like that as sim are more capable in handling multiple functions.
Multi-tasking may not have been a real game changer , it has definitely make the gameplay more seamless, more immersive and natural in that sense. I do feel Sims 4, I only have the base game, does well in social interactions. Reminds me alot of Sims 2.
Sims 4 is not without its flaws! The smartness is inconsistent! Did I mention stupidity also? Things like standing next to the fridge to eat, not siting down to watch TV, greeting and talking to friend though the door still drives me crazy!!
Sims 4 is not without its flaws! The smartness is inconsistent! Did I mention plum also? Things like standing next to the fridge to eat, not siting down to watch TV, greeting and talking to friend though the door still drives me crazy!!
Sorry typo error, i meant there's Stupidity also, which makes playing TS4 equally frustrating
but dont get me wrong, i really enjoy all Sims game 1 - 4.
@tintinfoo Thanks for the explanation I agree it's a good thing they tend to notice each other and seek each other's company, I consider the fact sims in 3 never seem to care whether they sit together when eating quite disturbing. I even think the rabbithole restaurant would have been less of an issue when sims at least would have sat together when dining on the terrace. They don't, they sit anywhere, which is beyond me because in 2 this was handled well. Why did they give that up, I don't get that. And it was never fixed.
For me there is a downside to this smartness however, because in my opinion they are too social. I find the fact all kind of sims who have absolutely nothing to do with mine intruding into every romantic rendez-vous without an invitation, equally annoying and unrealistic as sims not finding each other when having dinner together. I must also add that I don't quite recognize what you say. When my sim in 4 has a date with her boyfriend and I send them somewhere, they are very much doing their own thing unless I instruct them. I'm also genuinely bothered by how conversations in the game look, compared to 1, 2 and 3. In the predecessors having a conversation means they are really paying attention to each other. Their whole body language says conversation. Looking the other in the face and when one sim leaves the conversation, the other sims immediately looks for something else to do (or someone else to talk to). In Sims 4 they often have conversations with people and the only way I can tell is because they are talking and gesturing and by looking at their thought bubble, that shows the sim they are having the conversation with. They are in no way really adressing that sim though. And when the other sim walks away, they continue talking until - I guess - the animation is completed. Which looks utterly silly and robotic. As does the working out during conversations but I guess that's personal preference. If there would be a mod that would get rid of the spontaneous push ups I'd install it immediately
The not canceling instructions I don't recognize either, because that's one of my major peeves in the game. Sims in 3 are very obedient and I like that. I like the balance between me instructing and them doing unexpected things. I find that more in Sims 3 than I do in Sims 4. There's a constant interaction between me and the game that goes both ways and I really miss that in 4.
(you must have an amazing computer by the way, because mine isn't bad at all, but a loading screen takes 30 seconds in Sims 4, not 5 )
@JoAnne65 Do you use MC command? One of the features stops annoying actions like push ups and endless glasses of water.
I don't think sims 4 sims are much "smarter" than their predecessors. The thought process they seem to have that every sim is just a stranger they haven't met yet so I must go and talk to them and include them even at completely inappropriate times drives me up the wall.
I actually hate going out because I know this will happen. One of my sims got married at the park in San Myshuno, immediately after the ceremony she ran (literally) over to go and talk to some stranger. Forget her new husband, he's old news!
This was corrected in the sims 2 when they behaved similarly (although it wasn't half as bad) because it was recognised that it was unrealistic for sims to be chatting away to everyone and anyone on a community lot.
I like the fact that yeah if a sim is in the living room eating and another sim gets a plate of food they will join the sim In the living room. But I see a lot more of sims grabbing food and going to eat in the toddlers bed, sometimes while it's empty, sometimes while it's not. If I see my sim heading to the fridge to get leftovers when there is a fresh plate of hot food on the counter it bothers me that they don't stop when I say stop, they still proceed to the fridge, remove the leftovers and then dump it. But yet when they are in the shower and you queue up an interaction behind it like say go to bed, go watch tv, they immediately hop out the shower with their hygiene bar still in the red or yellow.
I like a bit of challenge with my sims, I don't want them to do everything for themselves and I can just sit back and watch, that to me is boring. If their needs are critical then yeah I expect them to go to the bathroom or eat but I don't want them just to do everything by themselves. I like a challenge.
@JoAnne65 When I play the sims 4 I can't play without that mod now.
I'm the same, my sims 3 families have been dominating my Simming time mainly but I do find time for the sims 1 &2.
It's not just Sims 4 to blame for that by the way, I've always been bad at focusing on more than one thing And right now I'm absorbed in my Sims 3 plans. I'd love to continue playing my Sims 2 family as well, but I don't for the same reason. I'm just bad at deviding attention
Yeah but I only have TS4 base game no CC. She's my first sim since I replayed, single, no family, in small simple house, maybe that's why the game fired up real quick.
Yes I agree with you Sims getting too social, when other random strangers will just barge into the conversation, never occurred to them that people might be having a private conversation?? But LOL second thought in my real life i tend to have a lot of group conversation also unknowingly with people or myself tend to join in.
I really hope they fix things like standing to watch TV, standing beside the fridge to eat (when the seat is just 2 steps away!!) and like greeting or talking through the door. Because if not, whatever positive improvements they make to TS4 will be like a 1 step forward, 2 steps backward kind of thing.
I consider Sims 3 focus was on Open World, like going out to explore and the outdoors. Sims finish their meals in like 3 to 5 seconds (except for restaurants), in my opinion is a bit fast for me. Not sure if right to say that sims in TS3 more task orientated?, and TS4 more social orientated? But the sims in TS4 tend to have much less sense? Like you can be intelligent but with less common sense.
@MidnightAura - "But yet when they are in the shower and you queue up an interaction behind it like say go to bed, go watch tv, they immediately hop out the shower with their hygiene bar still in the red or yellow." - I consider they went to shower was their own freewill action? Because I had that same situation happened, quite annoyed, but realised they cancel out their own actions because they were obedient and prioritise my instructions
Yeah but I only have TS4 base game no CC. She's my first sim since I replayed, single, no family, in small simple house, maybe that's why the game fired up real quick.
Yes I agree with you Sims getting too social, when other random strangers will just barge into the conversation, never occurred to them that people might be having a private conversation?? But LOL second thought in my real life i tend to have a lot of group conversation also unknowingly with people or myself tend to join in.
I really hope they fix things like standing to watch TV, standing beside the fridge to eat (when the seat is just 2 steps away!!) and like greeting or talking through the door. Because if not, whatever positive improvements they make to TS4 will be like a 1 step forward, 2 steps backward kind of thing.
I consider Sims 3 focus was on Open World, like going out to explore and the outdoors. Sims finish their meals in like 3 to 5 seconds (except for restaurants), in my opinion is a bit fast for me. Not sure if right to say that sims in TS3 more task orientated?, and TS4 more social orientated? But the sims in TS4 tend to have much less sense? Like you can be intelligent but with less common sense.
@MidnightAura - "But yet when they are in the shower and you queue up an interaction behind it like say go to bed, go watch tv, they immediately hop out the shower with their hygiene bar still in the red or yellow." - I consider they went to shower was their own freewill action? Because I had that same situation happened, quite annoyed, but realised they cancel out their own actions because they were obedient and prioritise my instructions
No ive noticed it both times, if I tell them to or they decide to. If I'm honest there's not often when they do it themselves, I micro manage a lot! And in the sims 1-3 I happily give them things to do if I'm focusing on another family member and it keeps them busy, they will just work down their queue.
Please Devs do not touch TS3, never, for anything, unless you make the huge patch to make it a 64-bits game (which is not going to happen... IMO)
And IF you happen to do the 64-bits thing... please do it properly and ofcourse optional, my game runs great as it is now we would say in Spain "Virgencita que me quede como estoy" (That means when a handicapped person going to Lourdes asking for a Miracle and being envolved on a car accident prayed the Holly Virgen saying "leave me just as I was before")
I can play at last TS2 TS3 and TS4 So great that toddlers are here!!!
Bit off topic,
But If The Sims Series in the future decides to do open world again - im keen if they can do an open world like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The Open world and the Camera view is very good. Just my personal opinion
The only things I would want considered for TS3 would be a 64-bit update, plus an update to the graphics card list, so I don't have to faff around editing files for that myself. I wouldn't want any more content updates, unless it was to add a new themed set that's not been done before (eg: medieval clothing).
Even then, in the past, EA's themed clothing sets have focused heavily on female Sims and included inaccurate clothing items. The Palace of Versailles set is one example: men in that era did not wear riding boots all the time, and certainly not in that modern style, but we got no elegant heeled and buckled shoes like the CC ones I had to hunt down to create my male Rococo-era Sims. We also got no knee stockings for the men, which meant finding knee-high female socks, using Master Controller to edit CAS settings to allow multi-gender clothing, just so my Rococo men could look accurate instead of looking like they shoved their bare feet into a pair of gumboots.
The not canceling instructions I don't recognize either, because that's one of my major peeves in the game. Sims in 3 are very obedient and I like that. I like the balance between me instructing and them doing unexpected things. I find that more in Sims 3 than I do in Sims 4. There's a constant interaction between me and the game that goes both ways and I really miss that in 4.
The constant cancelling instructions in TS4 drove me absolutely mad and was another reason I stopped playing. I never understood whether my TS4 lots had bat routing, or whether they just didn't want to listen to me. It's a nightmare when you have a household of more than 4 sims because you queue interactions for them, go to other sims, go back to them and they haven't done anything you've asked and are complaining that they're starving/smelly. What is the point of me managing my sims if they don't listen to me?
Not sure if right to say that sims in TS3 more task orientated?, and TS4 more social orientated? But the sims in TS4 tend to have much less sense? Like you can be intelligent but with less common sense.
I always find TS4 to be way more task-orientated. Like when I got Get To Work, and your daily tasks and stuff, it just feels like a mobile game or something. Do this, do that, do this again. And you can't get promoted unless you do these tasks. I find TS4 social interactions better than TS3 in some respects, but I find my TS4 Sims far less social because they never leave the house.
Comments
Both my gaming laptop and desktop with no mods or minimal mods with all EP's/SP's and the whole store runs fine. Another EP is not going to break my game but rather it is the lack of optimization and cohesiveness among the base game and all the EP's. If I remember correctly, the developers usually only test the base game and the new EP and never everything including all previous EP/SP/store content that was released to ensure the best quality assurance experience. I am finding out there are quite a few CAS store items that are broken and/or for some reason not working as it should with some EP and/or SP CAS content.
TS3 has amazing features but not all play out as well as it should because you know deadlines, lack of resources and possibly technology at that time, lack of communication between EP/SP/Store teams, etc. Overall, I feel the issue is not about how many EP's but rather how well they all work together with the base game to ensure the best gaming experience possible.
Unfortunately, most game developers are rushed into releasing unfinished content for the sake of a deadline which ultimately means money now not later motto. I would rather wait for a fully fleshed out complete game than have a rushed unfinished game spending too much time in glitch land.
Fortunately, to me, TS3 is not that bad off where the game is unplayable but regardless as a paying consumer then I really expected a lot better. And when I tried to address the issue I was shunned by some as being unproductive and destroying the peace because they wanted to talk the SimGuru about whatever happy-go-lucky topic. But whatever. Now I know how EA plays this game, so I'm extremely weary of their workmanship. Though, it's not like I'm interested in TS4 or any current EA published games. But I do still want Need for Speed II and III Hot Pursuit for the PS1.
While I think a remake/remaster of TS3 would be an excellent idea to come to fruition. Do you really think EA would do it right? As not all remakes/remasters are worthy and just trying to cash in than give out the quality that is due.
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter”
Thanks f I was in charge of The Sims I would bring out the best game ever made!
Sierra? Police Quest? Oh my... you've just touched my nostalgic nerve here!
Mostly did great games for their times but various mistakes brought them extremely close to bankruptcy in the late 90s and their assets we split, sold, reorganized, resold to some companies and or firms no longer operated and such up to a point where some of their games are now apparently lacking a "legal owner", Activision now apparently solely owning the name "Sierra" and part of its former staff.
As for the facelift, arguably, the x64 fix, plus a bunch of store items (including some worlds and subworlds), some new career paths, including the existing "occults" in the CAS menu, and the game would keep being profitable for 10+ more years... No more buggy experimental features (like they did with IP or ITF), just the x64 released as an EP, some store items (including the already existing bonus/restricted items), and maybe a broad SP and that would be it.
My Traits: Socially Awkward / Artistic / Family Oriented / Hopelessly Romantic / Absent Minded
Academic Trait: Adventurous
Social Group Trait (Should I ever become "Nerd" enough): Computer Whiz
______
“Instead of putting players in the role of Luke Skywalker, or Frodo Baggins, I'd rather put them in the role of George Lucas.” Will Wright
"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Cpt. Edward A. Murphy Jr, USAF
For Sims 4, I must say the graphics overall has improved and is very good. I'm not saying Sims 3 has bad graphics, but when you have Open World there will have some compromises, especially on details and lighting.
I do like the Sims 4 user interface and simplicity. Great CAS. I personally think the lighting in Sims 4 is much better, gameplay much smoother, Sims are "smarter" on some aspects, multi tasking abilities has alot of potential for the game. I will not comment about the new Emotion gameplay, alot have been said already. Definitely there are things that Sims 4 shld improve on too.
Gameplay wise, yes Sims 3 is the winner with more depth, and more things to do and explore, except that it's is cumbered with on-off glitches and bugs especially when you do not have mods to help clean up stuff in the long run. In my opinion, You do need decent gaming PC to enjoy full aspects of Sims 3.
But great game both
The 'smarter sim' discussion is an interesting one, so I'm curious why you find your sims in 4 smarter than in 3? I feel I don't need them to be too smart myself by the way. As long as they don't wet themselves, eat when they're hungry and go to bed when they're sleepy it's ok by me, I'll do the rest
(I don't think there's a connection between open world and graphics/lighting by the way; I rather think that's a matter of 2009 vs 2014)
Well, I personally reduce freewill to minimum (except for pets) as sims, when they're hungry, will burn the kitchen to ashes cooking something way past their skills (should they have any), even if there are still more than decent leftovers in the fridge, wasting some valued ingredients in the process (e.g.: "burnt stew surprise" with made with "perfect" "Lobsters", or "burnt life fruit pancakes", or "burnt mac and cheese" with a farm fresh "perfect" "Cheese"); will go to your top story bathroom if they have to go, passing by many closer bathrooms on their way; will jump in the pool even if they are falling asleep; will use the computer even if there are puddles around; and many more... I dont mind pet being messy and doing stupid things, that what pet lovers love in them! I have a problem however with sims lacking self preservation instinct or severely sabotaging your plans... And I'm not talking about teens being hungry at 2 am going to the "deep fryer" and tossing either 1lbs of bacon in it or a whole bunch of chocolate bars in it, or one of my sims who started to use the "Miner" a little before 4 am, making quite a number of enemies in the neighborhood...
My Traits: Socially Awkward / Artistic / Family Oriented / Hopelessly Romantic / Absent Minded
Academic Trait: Adventurous
Social Group Trait (Should I ever become "Nerd" enough): Computer Whiz
______
“Instead of putting players in the role of Luke Skywalker, or Frodo Baggins, I'd rather put them in the role of George Lucas.” Will Wright
"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Cpt. Edward A. Murphy Jr, USAF
I want my sims to be stupid enough to need me to look after them, or what is the point in playing? The game needs at least a little difficulty to make it interesting.
My all time favourite? Looking after pregnant sims in ts2. Now that was a challenge!
I thought that TS4 would play perfectly for me on my laptop, cause I can run TS3 on Medium graphics with no problems. Yeah......no. Had to have everything on the lowest settings (which look AWFUL btw, like a free Steam game or something), and in laptop mode, and the game lags and stutters TERRIBLY. I can't play it at all it's that bad, and I've tried everything I was told to do.
It was super annoying because TS3 runs fine and that's supposed to be the badly optimised mess.
I don't really need them to need me concerning basic stuff. And I personally dislike the deadly loop a pregnant sim in 2 can find herself in when she's too hungry to sleep and too sleepy to eat. Especially when it happened to me after my sim had been on vacation. She was fine when she left there - in the need bar department - and when she got home all of a sudden she was miserable in a life threatening way. I used maxmotives, for me this doesn't add anything valuable to the game
I still wonder what people mean when they say sims in 4 are smarter than sims in the other games
This is indeed strange! I play Sims 4 on ultra settings though... can see quite a difference for me compared to Sims 3. It takes for me average 2 seconds to save a game in Sims 4 (base game only), 5 seconds or so to go to a community lot. I remembered many years ago playing TS3 on my old PC, and when saving or important events I will mutter to myself like "please save", "please don't crash on me". I still feel abit tense saving TS3 now haha. But I hear complaints on TS4 like once you start adding big expansions like city living there will be a significant lag
Regards to smarter Sims in TS4, it's just my personal observation and opinion when playing a short while ( I have not fully explored the game) , so some might defer but ; a few observations below
Sims are better at re-routing when things or other sims happen to block their path. Tend to cancel less of my instructions, more seamless in connecting the queue actions.
I find they are more social and more aware of their surroundings - one of my Sims will grab her plate of her food and sit down with her friend at the TV sofa; or go to the bedroom to eat (Lol! Because dad is painting inside) which she dont usually do. Somebody painting, and somebody doing something completely different thing ( using PC) when they are in a same room can converse together is quite a cool feature, like they are aware people are around them.
Or if Sims on a normal outing or on a date , and they sit a bar, if a sim notice that he or she is not siting with their date side by side, he or she will automatically change their seat, AND bring his or her drink along. Another townie on a date with me, after talking and drinking, when to the toilet, and then came right back to his seat continue on the conversation. Which I think is cool ! My sims working out on a gym equipment can invite another sim to do push up or use an alternative gym equipment. Makes me feel that they are aware that they are working out together ( neat feature from Sims 2 I believe). Multi tasking abilities like working out and flashing eyes at at romantic interest, while having a group conversation with others at the same time made me my laugh out loud. Things like waving and saying goodbye all within group conversations and ordering drinks at the same time works very seamlessly without having me to cancel actions or re- rout. And to me it's important, when gameplay is seamless and things work out naturally without your input on details like that as sim are more capable in handling multiple functions.
Multi-tasking may not have been a real game changer , it has definitely make the gameplay more seamless, more immersive and natural in that sense. I do feel Sims 4, I only have the base game, does well in social interactions. Reminds me alot of Sims 2.
Sims 4 is not without its flaws! The smartness is inconsistent! Did I mention stupidity also? Things like standing next to the fridge to eat, not siting down to watch TV, greeting and talking to friend though the door still drives me crazy!!
For me there is a downside to this smartness however, because in my opinion they are too social. I find the fact all kind of sims who have absolutely nothing to do with mine intruding into every romantic rendez-vous without an invitation, equally annoying and unrealistic as sims not finding each other when having dinner together. I must also add that I don't quite recognize what you say. When my sim in 4 has a date with her boyfriend and I send them somewhere, they are very much doing their own thing unless I instruct them. I'm also genuinely bothered by how conversations in the game look, compared to 1, 2 and 3. In the predecessors having a conversation means they are really paying attention to each other. Their whole body language says conversation. Looking the other in the face and when one sim leaves the conversation, the other sims immediately looks for something else to do (or someone else to talk to). In Sims 4 they often have conversations with people and the only way I can tell is because they are talking and gesturing and by looking at their thought bubble, that shows the sim they are having the conversation with. They are in no way really adressing that sim though. And when the other sim walks away, they continue talking until - I guess - the animation is completed. Which looks utterly silly and robotic. As does the working out during conversations but I guess that's personal preference. If there would be a mod that would get rid of the spontaneous push ups I'd install it immediately
The not canceling instructions I don't recognize either, because that's one of my major peeves in the game. Sims in 3 are very obedient and I like that. I like the balance between me instructing and them doing unexpected things. I find that more in Sims 3 than I do in Sims 4. There's a constant interaction between me and the game that goes both ways and I really miss that in 4.
(you must have an amazing computer by the way, because mine isn't bad at all, but a loading screen takes 30 seconds in Sims 4, not 5
I don't think sims 4 sims are much "smarter" than their predecessors. The thought process they seem to have that every sim is just a stranger they haven't met yet so I must go and talk to them and include them even at completely inappropriate times drives me up the wall.
I actually hate going out because I know this will happen. One of my sims got married at the park in San Myshuno, immediately after the ceremony she ran (literally) over to go and talk to some stranger. Forget her new husband, he's old news!
This was corrected in the sims 2 when they behaved similarly (although it wasn't half as bad) because it was recognised that it was unrealistic for sims to be chatting away to everyone and anyone on a community lot.
I like the fact that yeah if a sim is in the living room eating and another sim gets a plate of food they will join the sim In the living room. But I see a lot more of sims grabbing food and going to eat in the toddlers bed, sometimes while it's empty, sometimes while it's not. If I see my sim heading to the fridge to get leftovers when there is a fresh plate of hot food on the counter it bothers me that they don't stop when I say stop, they still proceed to the fridge, remove the leftovers and then dump it. But yet when they are in the shower and you queue up an interaction behind it like say go to bed, go watch tv, they immediately hop out the shower with their hygiene bar still in the red or yellow.
I like a bit of challenge with my sims, I don't want them to do everything for themselves and I can just sit back and watch, that to me is boring. If their needs are critical then yeah I expect them to go to the bathroom or eat but I don't want them just to do everything by themselves. I like a challenge.
I'm the same, my sims 3 families have been dominating my Simming time mainly but I do find time for the sims 1 &2.
Yeah but I only have TS4 base game no CC. She's my first sim since I replayed, single, no family, in small simple house, maybe that's why the game fired up real quick.
Yes I agree with you Sims getting too social, when other random strangers will just barge into the conversation, never occurred to them that people might be having a private conversation?? But LOL second thought in my real life i tend to have a lot of group conversation also unknowingly with people or myself tend to join in.
I really hope they fix things like standing to watch TV, standing beside the fridge to eat (when the seat is just 2 steps away!!) and like greeting or talking through the door. Because if not, whatever positive improvements they make to TS4 will be like a 1 step forward, 2 steps backward kind of thing.
I consider Sims 3 focus was on Open World, like going out to explore and the outdoors. Sims finish their meals in like 3 to 5 seconds (except for restaurants), in my opinion is a bit fast for me. Not sure if right to say that sims in TS3 more task orientated?, and TS4 more social orientated? But the sims in TS4 tend to have much less sense? Like you can be intelligent but with less common sense.
@MidnightAura - "But yet when they are in the shower and you queue up an interaction behind it like say go to bed, go watch tv, they immediately hop out the shower with their hygiene bar still in the red or yellow." - I consider they went to shower was their own freewill action? Because I had that same situation happened, quite annoyed, but realised they cancel out their own actions because they were obedient and prioritise my instructions
No ive noticed it both times, if I tell them to or they decide to. If I'm honest there's not often when they do it themselves, I micro manage a lot! And in the sims 1-3 I happily give them things to do if I'm focusing on another family member and it keeps them busy, they will just work down their queue.
Please Devs do not touch TS3, never, for anything, unless you make the huge patch to make it a 64-bits game (which is not going to happen... IMO)
And IF you happen to do the 64-bits thing... please do it properly and ofcourse optional, my game runs great as it is now we would say in Spain "Virgencita que me quede como estoy" (That means when a handicapped person going to Lourdes asking for a Miracle and being envolved on a car accident prayed the Holly Virgen saying "leave me just as I was before")
I can play at last TS2 TS3 and TS4 So great that toddlers are here!!!
Bit off topic,
But If The Sims Series in the future decides to do open world again - im keen if they can do an open world like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The Open world and the Camera view is very good. Just my personal opinion
Even then, in the past, EA's themed clothing sets have focused heavily on female Sims and included inaccurate clothing items. The Palace of Versailles set is one example: men in that era did not wear riding boots all the time, and certainly not in that modern style, but we got no elegant heeled and buckled shoes like the CC ones I had to hunt down to create my male Rococo-era Sims. We also got no knee stockings for the men, which meant finding knee-high female socks, using Master Controller to edit CAS settings to allow multi-gender clothing, just so my Rococo men could look accurate instead of looking like they shoved their bare feet into a pair of gumboots.
The constant cancelling instructions in TS4 drove me absolutely mad and was another reason I stopped playing. I never understood whether my TS4 lots had bat routing, or whether they just didn't want to listen to me. It's a nightmare when you have a household of more than 4 sims because you queue interactions for them, go to other sims, go back to them and they haven't done anything you've asked and are complaining that they're starving/smelly. What is the point of me managing my sims if they don't listen to me?
I always find TS4 to be way more task-orientated.